Air vent and cleaner therefor



Sept. 9, 1952 s. v. sAPlEN AIR VENT AND CLEANER THEREFOR Friled June 1, 1951 INVENTOR 5/570 lf. p/E/V,

@Mia/0m ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 9, A1952 i" Application June 1, 1951, serial No. 229,441

"jThis-invention relates to paint sprayers, and more particularly to an air vent attachment for paint sprayers'.L A'main Vobjectiefthe invention is to provide a novel and `irripreve'dself-cleaning air vent lattachnent forusebn; paint-sprayers, said attachmentfbeing simpleinv construction, being leasy to installjand involving `only a few parts.

` A `furtherobjectfof'the inventionisv to provide an improved'self-cleaningair vent attachment for use on the Vpaintreceptacle of a paint spraying'rnachine, said attachment being inexpensive to manufacture, -being sturdyin construction, being easy to remove for cleaning or repair, and requiring no extensive modification of a spraying apparatus QnA which itis to be employed.

Further objects andadvantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view taken through the spray hose of a paint-spraying apparatus and showing the top wall of the paint container of the apparatus in plan View, and further showing an improved self-cleaning air vent attachment according to the present invention mounted on said top wall;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the top portion of the paint container of the spraying apparatus of Figure 1, showing the improved self-cleaning air vent attachment of the present invention;

:..aolaims-- (c1. 2211414) y Figure 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view Y taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a prespective view of a tool suitable for removing the air vent attachment from the paint container of the spraying apparatus when desired;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the block element and the yoke member movably secured thereto, forming part of the improved; selfcleaning air vent attachment shown in Figures 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawings, II designates the paint container of the conventional paint-spraying apparatus, and I2 designates the removable top cover or wall of the container. I3 designates the conduit leading to the spray nozzle of the apparatus. Designated at I4 is a hollow stud member which is formed at its top end with a transverse bore I5 communicating with the internal, vertical bore IE of the stud member, as shown in Figure 3. The stud member is open y T21' at its `b'ottornfandv islong'itudinally notchedat I1 'to define aplurality f resilient ngers I8 which normallyflare `outwardly and downwardly, as viewed Vin Figures 3 and 4., Theghollow stud I4 is securedin] the `wall'I2 bybeinginserted through fan opening Iilfformed` in said wall, the stud beinglocked` infsaid opening by the expansion of the resilientfnngelfs I8faf'te'r the stud has been inserted into the wall tothe positionshown inFigures 3 and `41. e 1' The top end of the stud I4 is formed Withjthe outwardly divergent, horizontal lugs 21D, v,20. Designated at 2I `is/a block member'located "adjacent the stud I4 and secured'at' its cornerportions to the ends of thelugs 20, '2li by respective machine screws 22`, `22g-*asv shown` in Figuresjl.

and 4. Rigidly secured tou the respective 4end portions of the block 2I are the parallel rod elements 23, 23, said rod elements extending parallel to the bore I5 in the top end of stud I4, and being arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of said stud. Designated at 24 is a yoke member which is slidably `mounted on the rod elements 23, 23 for movement toward and away from the stud I4. Respective coil springs 25, 25 are mounted on the rod elements 23, 23 between the block 2| and the yoke 24, said springs biasing the yoke 24 away from the stud I4. The yoke 24 is retained on the rod elements 23. 23 by the provision of respective cotter pins 26, 26 on the ends of the rod elements 23. Secured to the intermediate portion of the yoke member 24 is a pin member 21 which is located in alignment with the bore I5 and which is normally maintained outside of the bore by the biasing action of springs 25, 25. The yoke member 24 is formed at its central portion with an upstanding finger-engaging lug 28 which the operator of the spray apparatus may employ for pushing the yoke member 24 toward the stud I4, whereby the pin member 21 may be pushed into the bore I5 to clear said bore of dirt, excess paint or the like. During use of the device, the coil springs 25, 25 maintain the pin element 21 out of bore I5, whereby air may freely enter the container I I through the air passage defined by bore I5 and the internal bore I6 of the stud I4.V

sprayers has been disclosed in the foregoing de-Y scription, it will be understood that various modications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it y is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by thesccpe of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: f y 1. A self-cleaning air vent attachment for paint sprayers comprising a hollow stud member 4 being adapted to be mounted in the upper wall portion of a paint sprayer to dene an air vent therefor, a transversely extending block element secured to the top end of said stud member, a. yoke member movably secured to said block element and disposed opposite therefrom with respect to the stud member, a pin element rigidly carried by said yoke member in alignment with said bore, said yoke member being movable along the axis of the pin element tofallo'w'the' pin element to enter the bore',` andspring means biasing said yoke member away from the stud member toward a position wherein the pin element is outside said bore.

3.' A self-cleaning air vent attachment for paint. sprayers *comprising a hollow stud member formed at its topr end with a transverse bore com- "muni'catingwith the interior of the stud memformed at its top end with a, transverse bore c'o'mmunicating with the interior of the stud member,v saidstud member -being open at its Vbottom andbeing adapted toA be mounted inthe upper wall portion Vof a paint sprayer'to define an'air vent therefor, a yoke member movably secured to -said vstud member, a pin element rigidly carr'iedby said yoke member in alignment with said bore, said yoke member being movable along the axis `of the' ,pin element vto allow the pin element to ,-enterthe bore, vand spring means biasing said yoke member away from the stud member toward aposition Whereinthe pin element is outside said bore. I Y

`A,.se1fcleaning airvent attachment for paint sprayers comprising a hollow stud member formed at its top end with a transverse bore communicating with 1the interior ofthe stud member, said stud-membervbeing open` at its bottom and ber," said stud member being open at its bottom and being adapted to be mounted in the upper wall portion of a paint sprayer tQ-dene ani-air vent therefor, a i'lransversely extending block element secured to the top end of said studl mem ber, a pair of parallel arms secured to` said block element on oppositev sidesof said stud member and extending parallel to said bore, a yokegmember slidably mountedon said. arms, a pin element rigidly carried by-said yoke member inalignment with said bore, said yokemember being movable along said armsto allow the pin velement toenter the bore, and ,spring YmeansY biasing Vsaid yoke member awayrom-the stud member toward-a positionwherein the-pinelement isoutside said bvreq vSESTO VfSAPI-EN, l 

